


Trust

by KieraElieson



Series: Trust is Difficult to Give (but Easily Broken) [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Fluff, Gen, Healing, Human AU, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrid AU, Medicine, Sleepy Cuddles, These boys get all the happy, seeing clearly for the first time, toothrotting fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22198348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieraElieson/pseuds/KieraElieson
Summary: Virgil and Logan have been rescued!They’re finally home, though a bit hurt, and Patton, Thomas, and Roman cannot wait to spoil them as much as possible!The conclusion to Trust is Difficult to Give (but Easily Broken)
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders & Thomas Sanders
Series: Trust is Difficult to Give (but Easily Broken) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551208
Comments: 66
Kudos: 158





	1. Trust

Patton woke up. His first thought was for Logan and Virgil. Logan was still sleeping soundly curled up in his bed, but Patton didn’t see Virgil anywhere. He got up out of the bed very quietly to look for him. The door was closed, so he was probably still in the room. Patton looked all around, and checked the closet, and then leaned over to look underneath his bed. 

From the very back he could see a slight glint. Virgil had hidden back there several times before. Patton waited, not quite sure what to do. He didn’t want to tell Virgil to come out, and make him uncomfortable, and he certainly wasn’t going to pull him out, but he also didn’t want to leave without knowing that Virgil was ok. 

After a while of indecision, Virgil crept forward, closing half the distance between them. “ **_What do you want?_ ** ” He asked, and his voice was all growl-y. 

“I want you to be happy. And safe.” Patton said honestly. 

Virgil gave him a deeply confused frown. “ **_What?_ ** ”

He sounded so… lost. Patton hadn’t known that he could feel any more love for him than he already did, but apparently he could. 

“I want you happy. Remember when we made cookies together? You made one specially for each of us, and afterwards you let me pet you. You— you seemed really happy, and I know it made me happy.” Patton swiped away a few tears that had come up unexpectedly. 

“ **_I… don’t…_ ** ”

“You even came and gave me a hug one time,” Patton said. “It was when Remy went missing that first time. You came up and put your hands on my knee. I guess I was the one who started the hug, but you hugged me right back.” The tears were really flowing now, despite Patton’s attempts to wipe them away. 

When Patton’s eyes cleared enough to see Virgil again, his confused frown had turned to a look of almost recognition. 

“What…? How? Patton?”

Oh that just opened the floodgates. “Yeah, it’s me…”

“Patton!”

And suddenly Patton was blessed with a double armful of hybrid. Virgil clung to his shirt, crying just as hard as he was. Patton hugged him back. 

“Oh, Virgil!”

“I was so scared!” Virgil cried. “I wanted you. I wanted you so much!”

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry, Virgil!”

“Don’t let them take me back! Please, Patton!”

“Never. Never ever. I’ll never let anyone take you I promise.” Patton hugged Virgil even closer, giving as many assurances and promises as he could. 

“Patton, it hurts.”

“What? What does, baby?” Patton asked, slackening his grip, but not even close to letting go. 

“Everything. I think… I got hurt. I can’t remember, Patton.” Virgil buried his face in Patton’s shirt, and Patton hugged him close, but gently. 

“Do you want me to look at it?” 

Patton could feel more than see the nod. 

It was then that Patton realized that everywhere he could feel Virgil’s skin it was hot to the touch. 

“He’ll need disinfectant, if not antibiotics,” Logan said. He was sitting next to Patton on the floor, and had a truly adorable bed head. 

“Logan, I missed you so much, too!” Patton said. “I was so scared for you two!”

Logan gave a polite nod, but he had a small smile. “I’ve… heard, of what you did to try to find us. Thank you.”

  * •^*^••



Virgil was shivering and shaking. Patton had his hands cupped around Virgil’s face, both for comfort and to stop him from looking, and was pressing kisses and assurances to the top of his head. Logan was the only one Virgil had permitted to use the disinfectant, but he was having a very hard time. 

Physically, it was not a demanding task. But feeling Virgil try to flinch away and hearing him be in pain while Logan cleaned each scratch was proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated. And there were so many. Thomas was coming behind Logan, with medicated ointment and bandages, murmuring soft encouragement, which was the only way Logan was able to keep going at all. 

It seemed like it took hours before he was done and Virgil was slipping on soft clothes. Logan sat down heavily, once again struggling to control his emotions. Virgil hadn’t even recognized him for the whole previous day, and now  _ Logan _ had to be the one to hurt him more. 

And then there was a small hand on his shoulder, and Virgil was gently pushing himself into Logan’s space. Logan opened his arms to him, and Virgil fell into a hug. 

It must have been a long hug, because the next thing Logan knew, he was waking up, extremely hungry, and the light coming in through the windows was dim. 

Virgil was still asleep against his chest. Logan raised to his forehead, and winced at how hot it felt. 

One of the humans entered the room. “Oh, Logan, you’re awake.” Patton’s voice said softly. “Do you want dinner?” 

“I would,” Logan said, trying both to let his voice carry and also keep it quiet enough not to wake Virgil. “But I am reluctant to leave Virgil alone.”

“I can stay with him,” Patton offered. 

“That would be appreciated.” Logan said. “He needs medicine. I believe his fever has only risen since this morning.”

“Oh, no. That’s not good.” Patton knelt beside the two of them. “I’ll call Roman. He said he’s coming back tonight anyway, and I’ll ask him what kind of medicine Virgil needs. As soon as I’ve done that I’ll take Virgil and let you eat.” 

Patton left, and was back in a few minutes. He very carefully lifted Virgil, holding him to his chest as if he was a human baby. Patton sat down on the couch, successfully avoiding waking Virgil. 

“There’s food on the table, and Thomas is in his room if you need anything else,” Patton whispered. 

“Many thanks,” Logan said, heading toward the kitchen. 

He ate quickly, shivering a little as the sweat on his clothes, which was mostly from Virgil, dried. He went to Thomas’s room and knocked on the door. 

Thomas answered quickly. “Come in.”

Logan entered, and almost opened his mouth before a metaphorical weight slammed into him. He realized two things in the single instant before Thomas turned to him. One, that he wanted a shower, and was about to ask Thomas for both permission and assistance. Two, that the very thought of asking permission utterly galled him, sparking a deep seated anger. 

So Thomas barely turned around before Logan left. He went into Patton’s room, where he thought he wouldn’t be followed. 

He took a few minutes to work through Virgil’s breathing exercises, as he had found that they worked for anger as well as panic. Then he tried to think through what he ought to do. 

He started by pulling out a change of clothes, and then put them back, pulling out pajamas instead. He took a few deep breaths, feeling an unnatural worry settle in his chest as he walked into the bathroom with his pajamas and shut the door. The shutting of the door was not very easy, since the knob was above his head, and the door opened outward, and it was not nearly as quiet as he had intended, but he managed it, and turned the lock. Logan breathed easier once it was locked. Getting a towel was even more difficult, and involved climbing up shelves, but that also he managed. Thankfully, once in the bath, there was plenty of soap within reach, and the knobs were at a level he could reach, though the cold water knob was rather stuck and required quite a bit of effort to turn. 

Logan showered quickly, and shut the water off. He dried off and dressed, and unlocked and opened the door. He put his clothes and the dirty towel into the hamper. 

As soon as he’d stepped into the hallway he sagged against the wall, feeling like he’d just run a marathon. Thomas has also just stepped into the hallway, and he instantly knelt by Logan, worry all too apparent in his eyes, his hands hovering, but not touching. Logan couldn’t have expressed if he’d tried how grateful he was about the not touching. 

“Logan, are you alright?”

“I… I showered. By myself.”

Thomas offered a small smile. “Yes, you did.”

Again a surge of gratefulness rose up in Logan. For Thomas not to reprimand him, but also not to praise him patronizingly, it was almost too much. His breath hitched in his throat. 

“I will not have another emotional breakdown.” Logan declared, more to himself than to Thomas. 

Thomas looked slightly lost for a minute. Then he asked, “Would you like to come with me and get the appointment set with the eye doctor? I… forgot about it, with all the craziness.” 

Logan gave a wet laugh, and squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. “That is decidedly unhelpful in regards to controlling my emotions. But yes, I would like that very much.”

  * •^*^••



Virgil woke to someone calling his name. 

“Virgil, honey, just wake up a few minutes. We have medicine and then I’ll let you go to sleep again.” 

He felt like he’d been stung by a hundred bees, and waking up just made him more aware of it. He shifted slightly, which set everything off to hurt. A whine slipped out from his throat, and he gripped tightly at the fabric in his hand. 

“Oh, Virge, I’m sorry. Just sit up enough for medicine.”

He was being held, he realized, as he was gently lifted into a sitting position. He forced his eyes open, and as light hit them, he was suddenly aware of a pounding headache. A cup was put against his mouth, and he drank it, though his whole face scrunched up at the nasty taste. But then they gave him water, and water felt amazing. Wouldn’t it be nice to be submerged in the cool water, and let it cool all the stinging pains on his body?

Instead, he was cuddled against a warm chest. It smelled like safety and home, though he didn’t know why. Virgil leaned his head into it, letting out the briefest purr. Slowly, his world turned warm and fuzzy, and he drifted off to sleep again. 

  * •^*^••



“Physically, he’ll be fine,” Emile said, having made an examination of Virgil once he’d fallen back asleep. “Keep him medicated until the fever dies down, and use the cooling gel once he’s awake enough to sit up. I’m more concerned about how Logan has described his mental state.”

Roman nodded seriously. “What would you suggest?”

Emile frowned. “Were it possible, I would suggest that you bring me back here on a weekly basis.”

“I can make it possible,” Remy offered, smiling flirtatiously. “Only for you, babe.”

Emile’s frown grew. “I absolutely refuse.”

“And if he didn’t, I would.” Roman added. 

Remy waved him off. “It’s my decision. But, if Em says no.”

“Thank you.” Emile said. “As a second option, you  _ could _ bring him to me, but you would have to find a way to do so such that he cannot see or hear anything until he’s in my office, and we would have to ensure that I do not get any surprise patients during his stay.”

Roman stroked a hand down his face. “I don’t know how possible that is.” 

“I am aware of the difficulties. A possible third option could potentially be some kind of phone call, perhaps FaceTime.” Emile said. “But that option would be very limited.”

“What’s wrong with taking him to your office?” Patton asked. “Why would you have to be so secretive?”

Emile hesitated, looking to Roman. 

“It’s— ugh, it’s part of the whole thing with my dad.” Roman said. “My dad owns Emile, and he’s the doctor for all my dad’s other hybrids. My dad… he trains hybrids… some of them for fighting. Since they get hurt a lot, Emile’s office is right near the arena, and it might be really bad if Virgil heard or saw any of that while we were taking him into somewhere strange.”

It took about three seconds for it to register with Patton, but Roman could very clearly see it when it did. Inwardly, he cringed. He’d honestly be lucky if Patton didn’t outright hate him by the time he learned everything about who Roman was. 

“And… your dad wouldn’t let Emile come back here?” Patton asked. 

Roman shook his head. 

“But he would for Remy?” Patton asked, confused. 

“There’s a whole story behind that, Pattycake,” Remy said. 

“Can I hear it? Or is it another secret?”

Roman flinched at that. 

“Well, to be quick, since we need to get Em back soon, I used to be a champion.” Remy said. “I fought, and I won, a whole lot of times. Once I got to the top, Roman dear ol’ dad gave me a deal, since he realized that it would be too much of a loss to have his champion lose after the streak I’d had. I have a favor, the high life, where I can do what I want. I could keep it for myself, or I could give it away, get my appearance changed, and start again from the start. If I asked, I could still have it changed over to Emile.”

“I said no!” Emile said, quietly but fiercely, and emphasized with a stamp of his foot. “I will  _ not _ have you go back into that ring for me.”

Remy sent Emile another smile. “As if you could stop me.”

Emile’s face turned downright dark. Roman quickly picked him up. It snapped him out of it, and he took several breaths. 

“Don’t tease me like that, Remy. It hurts.”

Remy’s face fell. “I’m… sorry. I won’t.”

“We should probably leave,” Roman said. “Is there anything else?”

Emile shook his head, and Remy started moving toward the door. 

“Just come back soon,” Patton said. “I’m sure Virgil and Logan will want to see you sometime when they’re awake.” 

Roman nodded, and gave Patton a small smile. He hadn’t missed that Patton had left himself and Thomas out of the list of people that would want to see him. 

  * •^*^••



Logan woke up, surprised that he didn’t see either Virgil or Patton in the room. He’d been exhausted, and after being a part of setting up the appointment, he’d gone straight to bed. 

He dressed himself, and walked quietly out into the living room. Patton was asleep on the couch, still holding Virgil. He was propped up with pillows, and someone had laid a blanket over him. 

Logan climbed on top of the coffee table so that he could see Virgil’s face. He seemed calmly asleep, though there was a single wrinkle between his eyebrows that indicated that he was still in pain even while sleeping. 

An alarm on Patton’s phone went off, making Logan jump and nearly fall off the table. Patton woke slowly, and turned the alarm off. 

“What is… oh, it’s time for medicine.” Patton searched around beside himself on the couch until he found a bottle. Then he looked up. “Morning, Logan.” He yawned as he opened the bottle and poured some into the cap, managing the feat with only one hand, as the other was still holding Virgil. 

“Would you like some assistance?” Logan asked. 

Patton smiled. “Yes, thank you. I can’t get the lid back on on my own.” 

Logan climbed up on the couch next to Patton and took the bottle. 

“Virgil,” Patton called softly, tilting Virgil to a more upright position. “Honey, it’s time for medicine again.”

Virgil’s face scrunched tighter. 

“I know it hurts. I’m sorry. Just take some medicine and you can go back to sleep,” Patton said softly, tipping the tiny cup against his lips. 

Virgil opened his mouth to take the medicine without opening his eyes. 

“Do you want some water?” Patton asked. 

There was the tiniest nod, followed by his face twisting in pain again. 

Patton dug around for a water bottle and held it to Virgil’s mouth. After Virgil had drunk, he handed it to Logan so that he could put the lid back on it. Logan set the closed bottle down, and reached out to brush a bit of Virgil’s hair out of his face. Virgil gave an extremely short purr, before turning his face back to Patton’s chest and trying to fall asleep again. Logan felt something in his chest squeeze. 

“Oh, Virgil, you’re so sweet to do that,” Patton murmured, stroking a hand gently over Virgil’s hair. “Especially when you’re hurting so bad.”

Patton settled back, sinking into the couch. “We had a doctor come last night. He said that Virgil would be fine, as long as we kept giving him the medicine.”

Logan nodded. “Did it… was it expensive?”

“I honestly don’t know. Roman did it. But, Logan, no matter how much something costs, we’d be happy to do it for you two.” 

Logan looked down, keeping his doubts and worries to himself. “Thank you.”

Patton nodded and yawned. “You’re welcome.” 

Logan left the room, thinking that Patton would be glad to get more sleep. He came back a few minutes later with a book, and Patton was indeed sleeping, with his head tilted back and his mouth open. 

  * •^*^••



Virgil woke up. It was the first time in a while that he had woken up without someone else waking him up. He was still cuddled against Patton. He didn’t know how long he’d been there, but it was long enough that it felt completely natural. He pushed his face against Patton and let out a short purr. He could only manage very short ones, but it was all the thanks he could express, so he intended to do it as much as he could. 

Patton stroked his hand over Virgil’s hair, and rubbed gently around the base of his ears. Virgil let out another short purr. He wasn’t in nearly as much pain at the moment, and Patton’s hand in his hair was very pleasant and calming. 

“Hey, Virge,” Patton said softly. “Are you feeling any better?”

Virgil nodded into Patton’s chest. Patton’s hand stopped moving, and Patton shifted so that Virgil was closer to sitting up. 

“Do you think you can sit up?” Patton asked. “There a cooling cream that the doctor left for you, but you have to sit up so that we can unwind some of the bandages.”

Virgil didn’t  _ want _ to sit up. He wanted to stay pressed into Patton’s chest where everything was warm and safe. But Patton was asking him to, and Virgil felt like nothing Patton asked could be too much. So he tried to sit up, wincing as it pulled at all the many tiny cuts. 

“Logan!” Patton called, angling his head away and not yelling, so that it wouldn’t hurt Virgil’s ears. “Can you come help? Virgil’s awake.” 

A moment later Logan was there, gently unwrapping the bandages from Virgil’s arms and torso. Virgil sent him a tiny smile, which was about all he could manage. Logan’s face softened into the calm affection Virgil had become used to over the years, and if Virgil hadn’t known just how much it would hurt, he would have flung his arms around Logan’s shoulders and held him tight. 

Then both Logan and Patton started spreading on the gel, leaving Virgil to flinch and hiss, though not at them. It was just so  _ cold _ ! It felt like ice on his burning skin, and by the time he was bandaged again he was shivering all over. 

He reached for Logan, and Logan gathered him in a hug. Patton got a blanket, and Logan shifted him until they were both settled in the corner of the couch. Patton covered them both up, and Virgil fell asleep. 

  * •^*^••



Virgil sat in Patton’s lap, purring strongly as Patton rubbed his back. They were in a waiting room. The door opened, and Thomas walked out, carrying Logan, who was wearing a pair of glasses. 

“Logan, they look so good!” Patton gushed. 

Logan blushed, as he was already smiling wider than Virgil thought he’d ever seen him. 

As soon as they got outside, Thomas set Logan down, as he much preferred to walk on his own. Virgil never would have guessed it back in the pet shop, but he had found that he absolutely loved being carried, so he stayed in Patton’s arms. 

Every few feet Logan would stop, point to something and gasp. “Virgil,  _ look! _ ”

It never got old. Not one bit. Not when Logan discovered the movement of leaves in the trees, or when he noticed people looking at him from across the street, or when he looked up and saw the soft wisps of clouds in the sky. It didn’t get old when Logan read the menu in the ice cream shop from their place in the line, and it didn’t get old when he insisted on Virgil taking steps backward from him, to see how far he could see him. And Logan’s awed wonder at the night sky made every one of them tear up. 

When they finally got home that night, Logan broke down in happy tears, thanking Thomas and Patton over and over again, until there was not a dry eye in the house. 

  * •^*^••



Roman knocked on the door tentatively. After a few seconds, Remy knocked, much louder than Roman had, despite having smaller hands. 

Thomas opened the door. “Roman! Where’ve you been? We thought you were coming back sooner.” 

Roman blinked, surprised at the warm welcome, but stepped inside. 

“Roman!” Patton rushed over and hugged him without hesitation. He gave Roman a pointed look. “I said come back  _ soon.  _ This does not count as soon.”

“You—“ Roman’s voice caught in his throat. “You  _ wanted  _ me?”

“Well, of course!” Patton said, still holding onto him and looking up worriedly. “You’re my friend, Roman, why wouldn’t I want you?”

Roman gripped Patton tightly, hiding his face in his shoulder, even though he had to lean down to do it. He stifled a sob as Patton just held him, patting his back softly. He’d come expecting a friend break-up, and he’d gotten himself all prepared for it, but this was… 

“Why?” Roman managed to say, though his voice cracked terribly. 

“Roman, we’ve been friends a long time, why would I not want to be your friend now?”

“I-I lied to you! And my dad’s a criminal. And I’m not— not doing anything about it.”

“Well, I’m not very happy about the lying,” Patton said, and Roman braced for him to pull away, but he didn’t. “But you’re still you, Roman. You’re still kind and funny, and you’re dramatic and it takes you a long time to believe that people like you. But you also like other people very quickly, and you’d do anything you could for your friends.” 

Roman just nodded into Patton’s shoulder. 

“You never lied about any of that,” Patton said gently. “So I know that if you could do something about your dad, you would have done it already. I still know you, even if I didn’t know your family.”

“So you,” Roman let out a sob when he pulled back to look at Patton’s face. “You still want to be friends with me?”

Patton looked at him so kindly, so decidedly. “Yes, Roman. I do want to be your friend.” 

Roman swiped at his eyes. He didn’t like crying in front of other people, but, this wasn’t any kind of normal situation. Patton wrapped him in another warm hug. 

Remy piped up from somewhere. “I’m thinking now would be a perfect time to show off the embarrassing baby pictures. Am I right, babes?”

  * •^*^••



Logan had asked for Patton and Thomas to have a conversation with him. Without Virgil. 

Patton had been a bit confused by the request, but if Logan was this serious about it it must be important. 

Remy had taken Virgil back to the bedroom, but Roman was staying in the kitchen with them. 

“I— first I want to express again my gratitude for all you’ve done for us.” Logan said, fidgeting with his glasses. 

“You’re very welcome, Logan,” Patton said. 

“However I—“ Logan paused. “I don’t want to be a pet.”

“Well, we don’t see you as a pet anyway,” Patton reassured. “You’re way too smart and independent to be a pet.”

Logan nodded, his lips pursed. “I also don’t want to be treated as a child. As a dependent. I want to be able to be a valuable part of the— of the family.”

Patton gasped a little when Logan admitted that he was a part of the family. It was just so precious! 

“Are you saying you want to get a job?” Thomas asked. 

Logan nodded, a little hesitantly. “I realize that jobs for hybrids are extremely limited—“

Patton interrupted him, part of his previous statement finally sinking in. “Logan, you don’t have to pay us money to be a valuable part of our family.”

“I- yes, I am aware of your views on family. And I want to thank you for being so accepting and generous. But I don’t want to feel as if I am dependent on you.” Logan looked up from the table to meet Patton’s eyes. “It doesn’t have to be a job outside the home, or even a formal job at all. If I— cleaned, for example, that might help.”

Patton still felt like Logan was putting himself down too much. He wasn’t any kind of burden to them. And he didn’t need to clean to prove that. 

But Thomas was nodding. “I don’t know off the top of my head about how we could get you a job, but if you want one, I’ll help you look.”

Logan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you.”

“You know…” Roman said slowly. “My- my dad does some really bad stuff, but, that’s only a small part of what he does. Logan, with what I’ve seen from you, you could very easily be a teacher. With your mind being the way it is, you would be a perfect bridge between hybrids and humans that have trouble communicating.”

“And there would be… a place for that? I have not been formally taught.”

“You haven’t,” Roman acknowledged. “But you learn very quickly, and you’re able to use what you learn, and teach other people how to use it. I… I really think I could get you a job.”

“Uh, yes.” Logan's face was halfway between shock and awe. “Please. I would— I would love that.”

“We still have to figure out transportation,” Thomas warned. “And I’d want some assurance that nothing would be able to happen to Logan. But if those two are settled, and the job works out, I’d be happy for you to have it, Logan.”

Logan smiled, and looked to Patton. 

“Well, I still don’t think you need one,” Patton said, “but if it makes you happy then I think you should do it.”

  * •^*^••



“Happy birthday!” Roman called, bursting in through the door, laden with bags.

Virgil ran up and took one of the bags, helping to carry it into the kitchen. 

“Technically speaking, it is neither of our birthdays,” Logan said, also taking a bag to carry. 

“Technically speaking, you don’t know. It could be.” Roman shot right back.

“Did Remy not come?” Virgil asked. 

“He’ll be coming after a bit,” Roman promised. “He had his own gifts he wanted to bring, and he didn’t want me to be able to spoil the surprise.” 

“Hey, Roman, would you hand me the tape?” Thomas asked, holding streamers above his head. 

Roman set the bags on the table and picked up the tape. “You want a piece or the whole roll?”

“A piece, please.”

Someone knocked on the door, and after handing Thomas the tape, Roman went to open it. 

“Roman!” Patton’s voice came from the front hallway, and Virgil ran towards the door. “I’m glad you made it!”

Patton was carrying a cake, and Virgil could see ice cream in the bag dangling from his hand. He waited until Patton’s hands were free, and then held his arms up. Patton scooped him up into a hug.

“Aw, did you miss me?”

“I did,” Virgil said, purring. “Thomas was busy all day, and Logan and Roman only got home recently, so I was bored.”

Patton ruffled his hair. “You wanna come with me next time?”

Virgil hesitated. “Yeah, I think so.”

Patton gave him a bright smile and set him down. “How is the decorating coming, Thomas?”

“Nearly done.” 

Bickering from the living room rose, until Logan yelled out, “Patton, would explain the purpose of this celebration to Roman? He seems convinced that it is related to our birthdays.”

“Well, it is kind of like a birthday,” Patton said. “It’s a gotcha day! Cause we got you a year ago today.”

“My argument is that it is still possibly one of their birthdays, since we don’t know the exact dates.” Roman said stubbornly.

Soon Remy arrived, everything was set up, and cake and ice cream were eaten. Despite Logan’s protests, they did end up singing happy birthday before he and Virgil blew out the candles.

And then it was present time. Virgil quickly took his seat in Patton’s lap, which was by far his favorite place to be, though Logan’s arms were a very close second. Logan must have been happier and calmer than he was acting, because he let Thomas hold him in his lap, and even started purring. Remy lounged over Roman’s lap, though as soon as presents were announced he jumped up and grabbed his to hand to Logan and Virgil. 

Virgil and Logan opened the presents at the same time. Each of them was a framed collage of pictures from throughout the year, though large in the middle of each collage was a picture of Remy. Virgil loved it, and Patton started outright laughing. Thomas laughed harder than Patton did, and so did Roman once he had been shown. Remy had a perfectly happy, and perfectly smug look painted all across his face.

“My turn now!” Patton said, setting Virgil down while he picked up two gifts and handed them to each of them. 

Logan opened his first, revealing a dark shirt and a blue tie. 

“I figured that now that you’re a real teacher, you should look like one.” Patton said.

“Thank you, Patton,” Logan said, his voice thick. “It’s amazing.”

And then Virgil opened his. It was his jacket. It had gotten ripped in several places on an outing a few weeks ago, and Patton had covered the holes with purple plaid patches that looked handsewn, and had lined the inside with a soft purple fabric. Virgil put it on immediately, even though the room was not at all cold, and launched himself at Patton in a hug. 

“Thank you!”

“Aw, I’m so glad you like it, kiddo,” Patton said, hugging him back.

“Can I have the next turn?” Roman asked. 

“Certainly,” Logan said, his voice once again calm and matter-of-fact. 

So Roman gave each of them a present. Virgil opened his first. It was a phone. A phone that fit in his hand. Logan quickly opened his as well, to find a hybrid-sized laptop. 

“Roman,” Patton said, mostly joking, “No fair using your money to show us up on presents!”

“I’m not showing you up!” Roman protested. “Your gifts clearly have more thought and love behind them than mine.”

“I guess it’s my turn?” Thomas said. “You’ll have to come to my room to get it, though.”

“Is this what all the noises have been?” Virgil asked.

Thomas nodded with a smile and led them into his room, where he had turned his closet and the entire corner of the room into a sort of house. There was a door, and a window, and the outside was painted. Virgil went inside, followed closely by Logan. The first room was a living room, sized to fit them, if a little cozy, and beyond it, where the closet used to be, was a room set up like an office, with a ladder in the back. Climbing up the ladder, there were again two rooms, the first one for Virgil, and the outer one for Logan. Logan’s room had the window, but inside the tiny house there were both lights and outlets, so Virgil’s room wasn’t left in the dark.

“It’s uh, it’s kind of a selfish gift,” Thomas said, “Cause you always have stayed in Patton’s room, and I wanted you in here sometimes. You don’t have to stay here always! If you want, it can just be for visiting.”

Logan opened the window, and Virgil could see that he was now just a bit higher than Thomas’ eye level. 

“Thomas, this is extremely thoughtful, and must have taken many hours of work. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.” Logan said.

Thomas flushed bright red, and ducked his head to try and hide it. 

Virgil rushed downstairs and out the door, hugging Thomas’ leg tightly. “I love it. Thank you!”

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Bonus Chapter One: Virgil is bored at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by Clara. Thank you!

**Bonus Chapter One**

**Virgil is bored at home.**

(Set sometime within or after Trust)

Usually, Virgil didn’t have this problem. Thomas worked from home 80% of the time, and Virgil had to be quiet, but he could lay in his lap, or play in his room while he worked. If that wasn’t an option, Logan would often assign him schoolwork to do, and Virgil would be busy with that for a while. If neither of those were an option, Patton would ask if he could bring Virgil to work with him, which was sometimes allowed, especially since Virgil was very capable of being quiet and still for long periods of time if he wasn’t alone. 

The problem was, he was about to be alone. Thomas had to leave unexpectedly, and Logan was already gone, and so was Patton. Thomas was throwing things into a backpack, and rushing to get out the door on time. 

“I’m so sorry, Virgil, I really didn’t expect this to happen. Let me— let me find—“ Thomas picked up a laser pointer, and turned it on, taping the button down. This one had a small loop of string on the end, and he stood up on the couch, slipped it over pull-cord of the fan, and turned the fan on low. “There. That should be something to do until one of us gets back. I’m really, really sorry, I can’t think of anything else, bye!”

The laser pointer was just pointing at the ground, until the fan got going. As it rocked back and forth slightly, the cord moved in a circle, making the laser start moving as well. Virgil’s eyes honed in on the dot, and he crouched, wiggling slightly, before pouncing. 

It wasn’t as fun as when a human did it. He never really caught the light, and it was more of a chase than a hunt. But he was focused in on it for a very long time, relentlessly chasing it down. 

The door opened, finally snapping him from the spell he had been under. Virgil ran to the door, or tried to. Suddenly he felt bone tired. Patton scooped him up, and Virgil gave a short purr before his eyes closed. 

  * •^*^••



Virgil woke very slowly, purring as he did. There was a warm hand on his back, and while it wasn’t petting him, it still felt very nice. He tried to stretch, but his whole body was extremely sore, and his purring cut off abruptly as he froze. 

Patton took in a deep breath, and then opened his eyes. He smiled softly down at Virgil, and his hand moved to start petting him. Virgil smiled back, nuzzling his head into Patton’s hand and purring happily. 

“How do you feel, sweetheart?” Patton asked. 

“Sore.”

Patton laughed. “You had quite the workout, didn’t you?” 

Virgil just hummed and nuzzled closer. It was all warm and happy and smelled good, and he didn’t want it to end. He didn’t mind being sore if he got cuddled like this.


	3. Bonus Chapter Two: Logan’s Day as a Teacher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Larz1014. I hope you like it!

**Bonus Chapter Two**

**Logan’s day as a Teacher**

**(** Set sometime after Trust)

  
  


Roman drove Logan to work. He hadn’t liked it at first, but, as it turned out, Roman had many jobs working for his father, and they all had odd times, but many could be done in the same general area that Logan worked. So, since there was no way Logan could get a drivers license, Roman drove him. 

Logan was a ‘special’ teacher. Roman’s father had several human teachers in his employ, but the thing that Logan excelled at was connecting with hybrids who did not connect well to others, especially if the others were humans. 

He straightened his tie and walked into his office. 

There was a human sitting in the chair, and on the floor beside her was a carrier, with a hybrid huddled in the back. 

“Good morning,” Logan said. 

The human nodded. “Morning.”

“My name is Logan. I am the teacher.” Logan held out a hand to the human. 

The human leaned down to shake his hand. “Ann. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Ann.” Logan sat down on the floor in front of the carrier, where he could be easily seen, but wasn’t blocking the doorway. “And may I ask your name?”

“Her name’s Melopy,” Ann said. 

“I beg your pardon,” Logan said, allowing a snap to come into his tone, while keeping his words strictly polite. “The question was not addressed to you.”

Ann sat back in the chair, her eyes wide with shock. “Oh. Uh, sorry.”

He had definitely caught Melopy’s attention now. She was loosening up out of her tight ball. She was very young, probably only just taken away from her mother. Logan waited patiently for a few minutes, while she stared at him. Her ears slowly came forward from where they’d been pressed tightly against her head, but she didn’t speak. 

“My name is Logan,” he said again, gesturing to himself. “May I ask what yours is?”

The hybrid glanced to the side, where Ann was, though she couldn’t see her through the wall of the carrier. She looked back at him. “It’s Melopy.” Her voice was very quiet, but he could still clearly hear it. 

“That’s a beautiful name, Melopy. May I ask where you got it?”

“M-my mom.”

Logan gave Melopy a soft smile. “I’m sure she loved you very much.” 

Melopy nodded, getting a bit teary. 

“Would you come out here with us, please?”

Melopy again glanced toward where Ann was, and bit her lip, but she did come out of the carrier. She was hunched over, hugging herself tightly. 

Logan opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, and soon he had a lap full of a very small and rather trembly hybrid. 

“May I touch you, Melopy?” Logan asked. 

She nodded, hiding her face in his chest. Her ears were pressed tightly back against her head again. Logan rubbed her back with one hand, and rested the other on her head, rubbing soft circles around the base of her ears. He was a little surprised at how quickly the purring came, and how quickly it faded as she fell asleep. 

“Has she had difficulty sleeping?” He asked, looking up at Ann. 

Ann was watching, awe painted starkly over her face. “I-I don’t know. How did you do that? She hates being touched.”

“I find that very unlikely,” Logan said. “I believe that at the moment her reaction to touch is heightened. If it would be unpleasant to her, it is now much more so, and if it would usually be pleasant to her, it will be even more so.”

“But I’ve tried petting her too,” Ann said, getting down from her chair to sit on the floor near them. “And she kept trying to run away.”

“Did you allow her to do so?” Logan asked. 

Ann frowned. “Well, I guess not. I was trying to help her feel better. Hiding under a bed all alone won’t help her feel any better.”

Logan gave a slight nod. “Hybrids are made to enjoy touch, more so than humans to a significant degree. You are correct that being alone and hiding does not fulfill that need. However, especially for those this young, they need a safe, calm place. If she does not get that from you, she will seek it out elsewhere.” 

“Well, I can see that you’re calm, but what made you so safe? She’s never met you before.”

“A large part is that I offered. I did not require her to do anything. I did not scold her for any mistakes. If she did not want me to touch her I would not have done so, even while she was in my lap.” 

Ann gave a slight frown. “But if she wants to be touched, and she needs it, but she says she doesn’t—“ she trailed off slightly, not finishing her question. 

“If you want Melopy to feel safe around you, you must respect her wishes. Based on her current actions, I believe that within a week or even less, provided you are kind, gentle, and respectful, you could have a very sweet and extremely cuddly hybrid.”

“How do I start?” Ann asked. 

Logan patted Melopy. “Melopy, wake up please.”

She shifted slightly.

Logan shook her shoulder gently. “Wake up, please, Melopy. Just for a few moments.”

Her eyes blinked open. “Hmm?”

“Ann would like to hold you.”

Melopy’s ears tucked back down. She shook her head. 

“That is fine. You may go back to sleep now, if you wish.”

Melopy blinked, clearly not expecting that to be the answer. She looked over at Ann, who gave an awkward smile, and held her hands out. Melopy looked back and forth between Ann and Logan, before shaking her head again. 

“That’s fine. You may go back to sleep now.” 

Melopy hid her face in Logan’s chest again, but it was easy to tell she wasn’t sleeping. 

“What now?” Ann asked hopelessly. 

“We wait until she is awake again, and then ask again. It is her choice.”

“What if she doesn’t ever want me to hold her?”

“I do not believe that that is the case, but if it were, I would suggest that you get another hybrid to keep her company.”

“But-“

“Tell me honestly, Ann,” Logan said, an edge coming into his voice. “What is more important to you, Melopy’s well-being and happiness, or your desire to pet her?”

Ann’s face fell. “She’s more important to me.” 

Melopy twitched, her ears pointing at Ann as she gave her all her attention. 

“I just, I wanted her to be happy. I thought I was doing the right things, so I didn’t pay attention to what she was saying.”

Melopy turned her head to look at Ann. 

Ann gave her a slightly teary smile and held out her hands. “Can I hold you, Melopy?”

Melopy got up and went to Ann, climbing up into her lap. Ann’s hands hovered awkwardly. “H-how do I? How am I supposed to do this?”

“It will depend on what Melopy enjoys,” Logan said, “but I’ve seen that a hold similar to how you would hold a human baby is often very pleasant.”

Ann scooped up Melopy and held her close to her chest, stroking her other hand through her hair. Purring came very quickly. A few minutes later it died out, as Melopy fell back asleep. 

“Thank you,” Ann whispered, and tears nearly fell from her eyes. “I was so worried about her.”

Logan smiled. “You are very welcome.”

These weren’t the only things he did as a teacher. He also had several hybrids that came regularly for more formal learning, because of a learning disability, or a desire to learn more than was usually taught to hybrids. But, when he was able to help a human and hybrid get along, it made him happy every time. Seeing Ann and Melopy reminded him of Patton and Virgil, and though he saw them every day, the reminder was not unwelcome. 

He still… still felt broken sometimes, when he was unable to have the same feelings that other hybrids did, but he was able to do so much more because of it. He felt strongly the way that he was helping make lives better, and he wouldn’t change that for the world. 

  
  



	4. Bonus Chapters Three and Four (which I smushed together)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Coco and HiddenDreamer67

**Bonus Chapter Three**

**A Customer at the Pet Job causes**

**Virgil to become Storm**

**Also! Bonus Chapter Four**

**Roman gets some more Bonding**

**Time with Virgil**

  
  


Virgil didn’t mind sitting in the old box. Patton had thought that he would, but he didn’t. Now that he was well assured of his home, the box was even a bit nostalgic, in an odd way. Patton caught his eyes many times throughout the day, and he let him out at every break he got. Virgil wasn’t allowed to just roam free, of course, so he did go for periods of time without seeing Patton, but the box had a clear  **_Not for Sale_ ** sign on it, so he wasn’t worried. 

  * •^*^••



It was near the end of the day. The shop would close in an hour or so, and Patton was very glad. No matter how many time Virgil said he didn’t mind, Patton always felt bad about leaving him locked up in a cage all day. They would have to go out and get ice cream on the way home to make up for it. 

He was suddenly startled from his work by Virgil’s voice. “No! Patton!”

Patton ran to the section where Virgil was. Some customer had picked him up. She turned to Patton, the absolute epitome of a Karen. 

“Why is this one not for sale?” She asked. “It seems perfectly fine. It’s cute as far as hybrids go.”

Patton gaped for a moment. Virgil’s ears were pulled back tightly to his head, his eyes darting back and forth between the customer and Patton, but without any of the spark they usually had. He was rigidly limp, if that could be a thing. He was Storm again. 

“Ma’am, you can not touch him. Please set him down.”

“I don’t see why not. I’m a customer. He isn’t sick, is he?” She looked down at Virgil in sudden disgust. 

“He’s my hybrid. I brought him to work. Please put him down.” Patton was not the kind of person to yank anything away from anyone, especially not living things, but he was getting increasingly anxious for Virgil. 

“Yours? Is that allowed? Isn’t that like lying to all your customers, having a hybrid in a pet shop that is not for sale?”

“Ma’am, put him down, please.” Patton said as firmly as he could manage, choosing not to respond to any of her questions. 

“You can’t tell me what to do,” she snapped. “Where’s your manager?”

Patton bit his lip. He did  _ not _ want to let this woman with Virgil out of his sight, but his manager might well be able to do something. “I’ll get her right away.”

He ran to find his manager, and told her the story as quickly as he could. Somehow she managed to understand the flood of words tumbling out of his mouth, and came quickly. Patton didn’t even pay attention to  _ how  _ she did it, he just knew that she got Virgil back. 

Patton hugged Virgil tightly to his chest, thanking his manager profusely. 

She gave him a tolerant smile. “Yeah. Why don’t you clock out and head home. The poor thing looks pretty traumatized.”

Patton clocked out and made it to the car before he loosened his grip on Virgil. 

“I was so worried! Are you alright?”

Virgil shrugged. “ **_Fine._ ** ”

  * •^*^••



After a night of trying, and failing, to get Virgil to remember who he was, Patton reluctantly went to bed. Virgil seemed to vaguely recognize Logan, but not as Logan. 

In the morning, Patton had to go to work again, and so did Thomas. It happened once in a blue moon, that they would both have work two days in a row, and of course it was now that it had to happen. Thankfully, Roman did not have work until rather late at night, and offered to come back after dropping Logan off, and watch Virgil. 

  * •^*^••



Roman opened the door, and heard a quick scramble, but didn’t see anything. He looked around, and found Virgil hiding underneath Patton’s bed. He didn’t press, just sat down near the bed, with a laser pointer. Laser pointers were Virgil’s favorite by far. He flicked it around, letting it dart underneath the bed a few times. 

It was several minutes before Virgil’s attention had shifted from him to the laser pointer, and more than several minutes before Virgil would venture past the bed in pursuit of it. 

He let the game go on for quite a while before he spoke. 

“Do you remember me at all?”

Virgil didn’t look up from where he was chasing the dot. “ **_No._ ** ”

“I remember you.” Roman waited, but when Virgil didn’t reply he continued. “I’ve played this game with you quite a few times. Back when you wanted to be called Anxiety, even.” 

Roman flicked the dot to spell out Hello. 

Virgil cocked his head to the side. But then he shook his head, and chased after the dot. “ **_I haven’t done this before._ ** ”

“Then how come you like it so much?” Roman pressed.

Virgil stopped again, his head cocked to the side, and confusion clouding his face. “ **_It’s…_ ** cause it’s fun. And I don’t need to be close to someone to play.” He turned to look at Roman, still very confused, and with tears shining in his eyes. “What happened? Why…? How did I get home?”

Roman held out his arms, and Virgil came closer, but didn’t move to hug him just yet. 

“A stranger picked you up. It scared you, and your brain decided to do what worked last time, and make you black out.”

“I haven’t been unconscious,” Virgil protested. 

“No, but you haven’t really been here either. You’re safe now, though. Patton got you away from the lady and brought you home. He has work today, so he asked me to watch you.” 

Virgil nodded, though the confused frown was still fixed on his face. “My head hurts.”

Roman held out his arms again. “Let’s get you some food, and some medicine for your headache.”

Virgil stepped forward and raised his arms to be picked up, which Roman was all too happy to do. He fixed some lunch for Virgil, and got him medicine. 

“What should we do now? We could watch a movie. Oh! Has Patton showed you Disney yet?!”

Virgil shook his head. 

“Virgil, it would be my pleasure to show you Disney!”

Roman decided that Aristocats seemed like a very appropriate first movie for Virgil. So he settled on the couch and started the movie. 

Virgil climbed up beside him, but leaned against him. Roman let one hand drop gently to Virgil’s head, and when he didn’t protest, he pet Virgil gently the entire movie. 

A good movie and a purring hybrid made for one of the best afternoons Roman had spent in a while. When the movie ended, Virgil climbed into Roman’s lap, curling up and falling asleep, and that just made the afternoon even better. 


	5. Bonus Chapter Five: A Day at the Park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ayri. Thank you for the sweet comment!

**Bonus Chapter Five**

**A Day at the Park**

(Filling in that first afternoon after Logan got glasses)

“You know what we need?” Patton asked brightly. 

Thomas and Virgil both turned to look at him, but Logan was too caught up in staring at the tree across the road, and only his ears swiveled around to catch what Patton was saying. 

“Ice cream!” Patton said, with a wide smile, prompting a matching smile from Thomas. 

“I’ve never tried ice cream,” Virgil said, only slightly hesitant. If Patton liked it this much it had to be good. 

“How?!” Patton asked. “I cannot believe that no one has— I’m ashamed in myself for never giving you ice cream!!”

Virgil got hugged tightly. 

“We’re making up for it now,” Thomas said, subtly steering Logan in the right direction. 

The part of the town they were in had many small stores, and it was not too long of a walk before they reached an ice cream shop. Of course, no walk could be too long for them right now. 

“Thomas,” Logan said, his voice an awed whisper. “That woman has a ponytail. It’s tied with a red… thing. I do not know what they are called. But it’s red! I can see that small thing from here.”

Thomas gave a small chuckle. “Yes, it is. Look over there, can you see there’s a little girl with pigtails?”

“Pink. She has small pink bows on her pigtails. I can see her  _ hair _ .”

Patton walked inside the shop. 

“Sir, if you’re bringing a pet in here, please do not set it down.”

“That’s fine. What do you want, Virgil?”

Virgil stared at the menu, his brain fuzzing over at the sheer number of options. 

“Sir, please hold your pet,” the lady at the register said as Thomas and Logan entered. 

Thomas knelt, and let Logan make the first move before he picked him up. 

“Thomas, I can read it. I can read the menu!” Logan said in an excited but hushed voice. 

“That’s great! Why don’t you read it to me? Help me decide.”

“There’s Vanilla, Chocolate, Cookies N'Cream, Mint chocolate chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Buttered Pecan, Cookie dough, Strawberry, Moose tracks, Neapolitan,” Logan was saying. 

Virgil tuned him out after a minute. “What kind do you think I should get?” He asked Patton. 

“Well, why don’t you start with Vanilla? That way you have a good base flavor. We will definitely be coming back, so you can try all of them eventually if you want.”

Virgil nodded. “Ok. I want Vanilla then.”

Patton walked up to the counter. “I’d like a double cone with Cookie dough, and a single of Vanilla.”

“Coming right up,” the girl responded, starting to scoop ice cream into cones. 

Virgil held both cones so that Patton would have a hand free to pay with, and then they sat down at a table. Virgil had to stay in Patton’s lap, but he didn’t mind. 

He wasn’t sure how to eat the ice cream though. After watching Patton, he licked it, recoiling at the cold, before returning for the flavor. It was delicious!

Thomas and Logan sat down next to them, and Logan’s ice cream was green, with little black bits. 

“What kind did you guys get?” Patton asked. “I got the Cookie dough.”

“I got Moose Tracks,” Thomas said. 

“Is this… a ritual of some kind?” Logan asked. “Asking one another’s choices?”

“Well, not for everyone,” Patton said. “But I like to. It’s fun!”

“Ah. I have chosen the Mint chocolate chip.”

“I got Vanilla,” Virgil said, not wanting to mess up the thing, whatever it was. 

Logan seemed to have the same response to the ice cream as Virgil had, making a face, and then quickly coming back for a second lick. 

After they had eaten the ice cream, they went back outside, and all of Logan’s wonder returned immediately. They walked to a park, and Patton got a blanket from who knows where, and spread it out on the ground. 

Pretty soon Patton and Logan were laying down, Logan pointing out all of the things he could see now that he couldn’t before, which was a shocking number. 

Thomas went for a walk around, and Virgil followed him. He shied away from any other people, hiding behind Thomas’s legs. Then a dog ran up, barking, and he very nearly climbed straight up Thomas. After that Thomas carried him. 

It was actually really nice being outside. It was brighter, and cool and fresh-feeling. Even the air seemed different. And it was fun to watch the other humans doing things when he wasn’t worried about one of them coming near him. 

Then one of them walked up to Thomas. 

“Aw, your hybrid is so cute! Can I pet him?”

“No. Thank you.” 

They looked shocked, and rather disappointed, but walked away. Virgil let out a breath he had subconsciously been holding, and leaned in closer to Thomas. 

“You’re alright, Virgil. No one is going to do anything to you.” Thomas stroked a hand over Virgil’s head, and Virgil purred, more in relief than because it felt good, though it did certainly feel good. 

They had walked around the park three times before the sun started setting. 

“Wanna head home soon?” Thomas asked. 

“Actually, I thought maybe we could all lay down here a bit longer,” Patton said. “Until the stars come out? So Logan can see them.”

Thomas smiled wide. “Oh, that’s a wonderful idea! Logan, you’re going to love seeing the stars!”

“So Patton has told me,” Logan said, staring at the sunset as the colors slowly shifted. “I’m… I’m very excited to see it.”

Thomas laid down close to Patton, and Virgil fit in the chink between them. He had almost dozed off when suddenly Logan yelled. 

“Is that one!?”

He pointed straight up above him. 

“Yeah, it is!” Patton said. 

“And how many did you say there were?” Logan asked. 

“Too many to count,” Patton said. 

Logan let out a breath. As the sky darkened, and more and more stars came out, Logan grew more and more excited, demanding from the two humans every fact they knew about the stars, and the constellations, and the planets. 

“And this isn’t even the best,” Patton said. “It’s just a bit cloudy, and we’re in a city. Someday we’ll take you to the country. It’ll blow your little mind, Logan.”

Logan looked like he couldn’t imagine anything more fantastic than what he was already seeing. 

Virgil fell asleep on the way home, but he could hear Logan still talking right up until he dropped off to sleep. All about the stars, and how he could learn more about them. 


	6. Bonus Chapter Six: Roman watches all three hybrids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Kamenlyn0110
> 
> :D

**Bonus Chapter Six**

**Roman watches all three hybrids**

  
  


“Oh, absolutely, this will be fine,” Roman said confidently. 

Patton looked rather unconvinced, but still let Virgil down. Logan had already gone inside with no hesitation. 

“I’ll be back in a few hours, but you can call me if you need anything!” Patton says, his voice just as serious as a parent leaving their child with a babysitter for the first time. “And Virge, you have that phone Roman gave you, you can call me whenever you need.”

Virgil gave Patton a small smile. “I think we’ll be alright.”

From further inside the house, there’s a small crashing sound, that Roman immediately tries to cover up by talking loudly. “We’ll have a grand time! Don’t you worry a bit!”

Patton finally walked away, and both Roman and Virgil turned to find what could’ve made the noise. 

Remy was leaning against the wall, looking perfectly calm, while Logan was fuming and very pointedly not looking at anyone. On the floor was a broken lamp. 

“I want to make it very clear that that was not my fault,” Logan said, his voice clipped and angry, and still not turning back to them. 

Roman sighed. “It doesn’t really matter whose fault it was. It’s not an important lamp, I’ll just clean it up and we’ll be done with it.”

Virgil went over to Logan, looking more spooked by the broken lamp than either of the other two hybrids. Remy just rolled his eyes and went to find a dustpan. 

This might just be a longer afternoon than Roman had anticipated. 

After cleaning up the lamp, he sat down on the couch and started a Disney movie. “Anyone want to watch with me?”

“Only if you’re giving out free pets!” Remy said, plopping himself right in Roman’s lap. 

Virgil sidled up near the couch, and Roman patted the space next to him encouragingly. After a few seconds, Virgil climbed up. 

“I’d rather not, if that’s alright,” Logan said. 

“That’s fine. You can explore my house, if you want.”

“Just don’t knock anything else over,” Remy snarked, and Roman sent him a glare. 

It was a bit difficult to pet two different hybrids at the same time, and Remy was far more demanding, so Virgil got petted less, mostly Roman’s hand resting on his back. 

Roman felt the first shift, and then the second, and the third, before Virgil let out a quiet, annoyed sound. He moved his hand, but kept seeing Virgil move out of the corner of his eye. And then finally he saw the flash of movement he really should’ve seen the whole time. Remy was poking Virgil. 

Roman pauses the movie to pick Remy up by the back of his shirt. “What has gotten into you? Virgil never did anything to you.”

Remy faked complete innocence. “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything.”

“They won’t like you, you know, if you keep teasing like this,” Roman said, putting Remy down on the other side of him, and forbidding further entrance to his lap. 

Remy pouted, but Roman was very used to dealing with him pouting. The rest of the movie went well, though Virgil was nearly entirely silent. 

When the movie was done, Logan suddenly revealed that he’d made them all a snack. Roman was quite surprised that Logan had been able to do that by himself, but the popcorn he’d made was very tasty, and then they all watched a movie of Logan’s choice. 

Roman kept a much better eye on Remy, and stopped him from picking at the other two several more times. 

Once Patton got back, and took them back home, Roman turned back to Remy. 

“Really, what on earth was that? I know you like teasing, but that was just too much.”

Remy frowned and stayed silent. 

“I will ask Emile to explain it to me if you won’t.”

“Ughhhh! Stop, fine. It’s just… it’s that dumb pecking order kind of thing. I don’t  _ like  _ it, really, it’s just a thing.”

“What do you mean?”

Remy let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, I just wanna be on top, ok? I’ll apologize, or whatever.”

“You know you don’t have to, with them. They aren’t going to try to fight you for anything, not even me.”

“I  _ know!  _ Look, I don’t like it either, it’s just a thing. Now leave me alone.”

“Do you really want to be left alone, or do you want attention? I’ll drop the subject once you apologize to them.”

Remy pouted again. “Attention.”

He walked off into his room, but Roman could hear the distant talking on the phone. 

Roman went ahead and set up Remy’s favorite movie, and asked one of his dad’s interns to bring Remy’s favorite Starbucks drink. 

Remy came out, all ready to pout longer, but then got almost teary-eyed at the sight of the coffee and his favorite movie. He hugged up close to Roman. 

“No one could deserve you.” He said quietly. “ ‘specially not me.”

Roman ruffled up his hair. “It’s a good thing you don’t have to then, huh?”

**Author's Note:**

> It’s the end! Wow! Almost never thought I’d finish. But I did! I am not, however, closing the book entirely. If you leave a comment here, or message me on tumblr (also @kieraelieson) asking a question about like, what about their second birthday? Or what about Roman’s dad? Or what if they went to a park and did cute stuff? Or whatever, I will definitely answer your question, and may make it into a bonus chapter!


End file.
